Chapter 6 – Hell to Pay
Cody looked over Yolei's shoulder to see the message play out before her. The young Knight seemed puzzled over the message, since it was typed out instead of a voice transmission. "Um, doesn't this seem a little suspicious? I thought you were able to have voice comms with Matt and the others." He moved around to keep the blood in his legs flowing.
Yolei stood up from her spot at the console. She remembered Kreia's message and intended to act on it. "Well, I guess the console they used only provided for typed up messages. So, I wouldn't worry about it too much." She paused as she saw Cody continue to pace around. "Okay, stop that."
Cody kept pacing around. "I can't, it keeps the stress away." He protested.
Yolei huffed. "Well, it's annoying me. Cut it out or I'll just put you back in that Force Cage." She threatened, crossing her arms around her chest.
Cody stared at her, stopping his steps. "Okay, what is wrong with you? I'm allowed to feel a little anxious given our present situation." He took a step back, sitting down in the far console chair. "You need to back off. There is no excuse for you being like this." He saw indigo-haired Jedi grit her teeth as she lowered her arms. "And certainly not with being clothed in only your underwear. What would Mimi or Izzy think if they saw you like this?"
Yolei started twitching at the mention of her parents. "I bet they would be willing to make me more comfortable than you are right now. You're the one who doesn't understand. I floated in that damn Kolto tank for what felt like weeks. I still can't even feel the Force mostly." She tightened her hand in a fist. "So, when I say stop pacing around because it's annoying me, I expect results!" She started to stomp away towards the hallway she had entered from. "I'm going down into the mining tunnels to find the others and activate the Turbolifts. Make yourself useful and monitor me down there." She continued her walk until something hit her back. "Ow!"
Cody had thrown a commlink at her, with a smile on his face with his result. "You're gonna need that for me to monitor you, oh supreme and wise Jedi Knight." His speech as laced with sarcasm as he watched her walk away. 'What's her deal anyway. She's not the one connected to a Sith Lord or haunted by memories of losing a homeworld.' The console he was sitting at started to beep loudly. "Oh what now?!" He started typing away, trying to answer the incoming hail. "Wait a moment… there's a ship coming here, sending us a docking code…" He tried to ID the ship, hoping his fears would be proven wrong. Unfortunately, the ID signature was one he knew well. "I have a really bad feeling about this."
Yolei began her trek down to the mining tunnels, entering the Turbolift. 'How dare he? How dare he question me and make those accusations. He has no idea what it is like to lose a home! To feel isolated from everyone! To feel alone!'
You are never alone, child. Kreia entered her mind, reassuring Yolei.
Kreia, how do you know? How are you able to do this?!
The mind is an easy thing to read when one is full of such strong emotion. You, young one, are full of such strong feelings, not at all like a Jedi.
Right now, Kreia, I want to focus on my mission. I will find us a way out of here. Yolei said as she tried to cut the mental link.
Be on your guard. Those in the mining tunnels I fear never made it out
Yolei's elevator arrived at its destination. She noticed a plasteel cylinder that was open and full of gear. Digging her hands through it, she found a miner uniform and a shield. "Finally, some decent clothes."
"I'm sure Ken would be so unhappy to hear that!" Cody laughed on the commlink, scaring Yolei in the process.
"Damnit Cody! You nearly gave me a heart attack! And what do you mean he'd be unhappy to hear I have clothes?" She asked as she slipped on the jumpsuit part.
"Don't even start. You've seen the way he looks at you. You pretend not to notice?"
Yolei slipped on her boots as she stood back up, holstering her mining laser and sword. "I guess I did. No matter, I need to focus. Can you guide me through these tunnels or not?" She asked. Moving forward, she opened the door in her way and was met with droids firing at her. Ducking and rolling to the left, she unholstered her laser and began firing at her targets. The lasers made contact and killed the droids on impact, leaving a husk in its wake. "Seriously, how did the Maintenance officer not think these droids knew how to attack?" She asked herself.
She continued her trek, noticing a fuel line coming from the ground going on up towards the surface of the asteroid. She did her best to move past it, ignoring the droids that were still mining away asteroid rock. "Cody, are you still there?" She asked. All that was heard was static. "Guess I'm by myself then. She started running forward, firing at any droids who came across her. More droids came from a tunnel to her right and started to throw sonic grenades. Rolling around, Yolei started to feel more pressured as the droids would not give up. Feeling despair setting in, she reached out with her hand as lightning flew from her fingertips. Not as powerful as Force Lightning, but doing its job, she used the electricity to disable the droid and cause its parts to explode. A rumble was felt as the ground beneath her began to shake.
"Wanna watch it?! This asteroid isn't stable with Peragian fuel in it!" Cody snapped over the commlink.
Yolei stood up and keyed him in. "What the hell am I supposed to do?! These droids don't want to give up." She yelled back. As she continued her walk forward into the tunnel, she noticed what appeared to be more fuel lines ahead of her. "Cody, do you see this on your end?"
"Yeah, it looks to be the central droid controller for the area. A lot of fuel goes into the area to get mined out of apparently. Keep your eyes peeled for an exit."
Yolei walked around, noticing the machinery started to take over the area over the asteroid rock. "What a cheery little place." She commented as more droids moved in towards her location. Trying to use the Force again, she picked up one droid and smashed it into another. With what strength she did have in the Force, it was drained at that moment. Kneeling down, she tried to gather herself and meditate. The droids would not let her have the satisfaction of doing so as they kept firing. Finally out of patience, Yolei ran over to the central console of the droid controller, hoping to not be hit by stray laser fire. "Come on, this has got to work." She said as she typed away. Pulling up the function to end all attacks on organics, she submitted it with the credential on her miner uniform. The droids stopped firing and stood still, waiting for their next commands. Yolei looked around, finally feeling at peace, even if for a little while as she continued to type away. She looked over her shoulder and around at the fuel lines. They had ray shields, preventing any organic from passing through. Unfortunately, that was also where her intended exit would be to the fuel depot. "There's gotta be something here I can use to shut down these fields." She continued to type, not wasting a minute. Finally, she found her answer as she typed in the credentials to shut down the containment fields. Only thing that puzzled her was the word 'containment'. "Could it be to contain the droids? Oh well, my mission down here is complete. Now time to move on to the fuel depot and find the others." She started to walk away, leaving the droids behind. One of them started beeping at Yolei, trying to get her attention.
"What is it? I can't understand you." She replied to the various beeps and whistles. The droid then moved one of its lasers to point over back to the tunnel she came from. Steam had started to rise from the area and moved forward. One droid in its path started to shut down as the steam kept moving. "Oh! That's what you meant! Thank you for the warning!" She started running towards one of the fuel lines, entering a new hallway that contained a Turbolift. "Cody! Come in Cody!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
"What is it your majesty?" He said with sarcasm over the commlink.
"I think I did something really stupid!"
"You mean shutting down the containment fields? That was you?!"
"Yeah it was! Not hurry and turn them back on!" Yolei kept running, trying to beat the oncoming steam. The Turbolift she was after was open as she dove in and entered the floor for the fuel depot. "Made it!"
"Good for you, I'm gon- tur- "The transmission Cody gave started to become garbled and lose strength.
"Cody? Say again?" Yolei responded. All that was heard was static. "Damnit!" She slammed her boot into the wall of the Turbolift.
After what felt like hours, the door finally opened to the fuel depot. Yolei walked out to find a familiar face greeting her. "Meiko! Thank the stars you're okay."
Meiko looked at Yolei with tears in her eyes. "Yolei! I was starting to worry something happened to all of you." She went and hugged the indigo Jedi. "You have no idea what I've been going through the past couple of hours." She went inside to one of the workshops in the maintenance bay.
Yolei walked in behind her and found what looked like a protocol droid standing across from the two women. "What's that droid doing here?!" Yolei asked, reaching for her sword.
The droid walked over to Yolei, extending a hand wave. "Amusing statement: It is okay, young one. I am not here to harm you." The droid spoke through his vocabulator. The durasteel frame that decorated his outer shell shined around the lights, with yellow optical receptors highlighting everyone word being said. "Embarrassing query: If I may ask, what would a Jedi child be doing on this asteroid mining facility?"
Meiko answered Yolei's question first, "Relax, this droid isn't about to harm anyone. He's been working here at Peragus for a long while and is meant to serve us. He wasn't turned rogue." She sat down, rubbing her stomach as to soothe the pain from carrying her child.
Yolei noticed this and immediately commented, "Does Matt know? Cause if he doesn't, I so want to tell him."
Meiko smirked at Yolei. "No, and I would prefer to be the one to tell him." She continued to rub her stomach as Yolei kept pressing the droid for more information.
"Proud admission: Yolei, I am an HK-50 series protocol droid, purposed for the facilitation of communication and the termination of hostilities. I was ordered here by the Republic to translate and work on these droids with the maintenance officer here on Peragus." HK-50 said as he walked towards Meiko. "Statement: With you two being the only organics I have seen since the incident; you are the only organics I may now serve. Henceforth, you are my Masters."
Yolei took a step back. The droid spoke as if he did not like the idea of being a servant to organics. "Um, excuse me for one moment, but do you not like that?" she readied her mining laser. "Cause if not, I can find an excuse to sell you for spare parts!"
Meiko stood up and walked fast over to Yolei, grabbing her arm in the process. "Yolei! While a droid isn't organic, we still must treat everyone with respect." She let go, taking the mining laser away from Yolei.
Yolei sighed in frustration. "What has gotten into everyone, first Cody thinks I'm overstepping and being the 'Queen' of the galaxy, and now yo- "Before she could finish, Meiko cut her off.
"Cody is alive? Where is he?! What's happened to him?"
Yolei started to answer the questions. "Yes, he is alive. I found him in a Force Cage on the administration level. From what I saw, he had been deliberately placed there. The only thing he doesn't have is his lightsaber. Speaking of which, I need to find mine as well." She started to walk outside of the maintenance bay, only to be stopped by HK-50.
"Alarmed statement: I would advise not going out there right now, Master. The droids may not be patrolling the area now, but they could start to circle around."
Yolei slapped the hand away from her shoulder. "Listen here, I am going to find my friends and family. I am going to get out of this forsaken asteroid, and then I am going to relax in my bunk on my ship. Do you have a problem with that?"
HK-50 took a step back. "Amused statement: From you told me, Master Meiko, it seems this Yolei is not the one you originally traveled with 5 standard years ago." The HK droid then walked away from Yolei, going back over towards the table that had broken piles of droids on it. He took a fusion cutter and began his work fixing them.
Meiko stepped forward to Yolei. "When we're out of here, you, Izzy, and Mimi better have a talk over this attitude of yours. Let's get going. If we're going to find any way to the hangar, we better make it snappy." She and Yolei walked out of the maintenance bay, with HK-50 giving one last piece.
"Theory: You could walk across the surface of the asteroid, but I would not want to see you damaged in any way, Masters."
Meiko replied to the droid as she and Yolei opened a locker containing space suits. "Well, lookie here, space suits! Great suggestion HK." The girl slipped on the helmets and breathing apparatuses. After conducting a system check, the girls opened the airlock next to them and began to walk out in space. The walkway before them led around the windows of the administration level and ended at the dormitory airlock. Beginning their trek, they continued up the ramps evaluating their options as this pink gas was released from the vents below them. "Now this is strange." Meiko commented.
"What is?" Yolei asked still moving forward.
"These vents, they're venting fuel deposits into space. That itself is normal, but the airlock is opened. Any mining facility worth its weight in spice has safety measures that need to be activated when airlocks are opened." Meiko kept moving, passing the first window of the administration level. "Basically, it keeps us from being burned alive. Apparently here not so much."
Yolei gritted her teeth. Cody better have a solution for them, if she could even get him on the commlink. She and Meiko continued their trek forward.
"About time, I lost your signal after you left the mining tunnels, now you're coming in clear." Cody said over the commlink, once again scaring Yolei.
"Damnit Cody! How many times do I have to teach you this lesson?!" Yolei yelled back. "Why don't you make yourself useful and turn off the fuel vents before Meiko and I are burned alive!"
"That's what I wanted to tell y- Wait, Meiko?! Is that you?" He saw her wave her hand in the cumbersome space suit outside the window. "Well, at least we found Meiko alive and well. Now we just need to make sure Matt and the others are good to go."
"The heat vents?!"
"Oh yeah, those things. I was gonna tell you that fuel is currently being vented through into space right on the walkway. No real reason for it either."
Yolei would stomp her foot if it weren't for the weighted down space suit. "Is there anything that can be done? Why are they active right now?"
Cody responded as he typed away trying to find a way to shut them down. "I'm locked out of the main system. Couldn't shut them down if I tried. They're not even supposed to be active when the airlocks opened, and not without the safety measures kicking." He kept typing. "Hold it, it looks like the vents were purposely rerouted to the exterior in the last few minutes. Almost like someone knew you'd be out there."
Meiko went pale. "HK… I should have destroyed him when I first met him." She sighed in regret. "Tell Cody that there is an assassin droid running around the station and to try and quickly find his lightsaber." Meiko continued to move on.
Yolei relayed the message to Cody. "An assassin droid is running through the station. Keep your guard up." She started moving with Meiko when Cody interrupted her.
"One more thing… The Harbinger is on it's way here."
"What?!" Yolei stopped, seeing something exit hyperspace before her. "No no no… How did it follow us?!"
Cody tried his best to stop the docking procedures. "I can't stop it Yolei, the computers are all automated with the docking procedures. Whatever is going to happen, we need to find the others fast and get off this rock."
The Harbinger moved slowly through the asteroid field, as if it was a derelict ship. Arriving at the station, the docking clamp for the airlock engaged, moving forward to attach the ship. A fuel line was also extended out, intent to provide whatever the capital ship needed. Yolei saw the line extend and connect. "Hmm… That could the way we get to the hangar." She said as she caught up to Meiko.
He has come.
What? Who, who has come?! Yolei asked Kreia through the link. No answer once again. I swear, if this is going to become a regular occurrence, then you need to rethink your priorities of actually speaking.
I need no such threats from you. It is my mission to protect you. Never forget that.
I can take care of myself
Oh, I have seen that, letting droids shoot at you with blasters not even meant for warfare. You have much to learn.
Yolei cut the link. She was tired of the constant fighting that seemed to go on between her and Kreia, yet she still appreciated the guidance that the old woman was giving her. As she and Meiko entered the dormitory airlock, they took off the space suits used to traverse the surface and moved around to the elevator towards the administration level. "Here, if we can get up to the administration level, we can get Cody and get aboard the Harbinger." Yolei said as they got into the elevator. "If we can get through the fuel pipe, then we can get to the hangar and escape."
Meiko put her hand on her chin. "That sounds all well and good. Only one problem." She took her glasses off her face to clean them. "We don't know what's onboard that ship. Cody said he had felt who it was back on Katarr, so I want us to go in with extreme caution." She finished cleaning her glasses and readied her lightsaber. "Also… don't ever order my son around again that way. He has been through so much more than you can imagine."
Yolei contorted her face. "I swear, when we get off this rock, we all need to have a serious discussion of priorities. You, Ken, and Cody all seem to be against me. I've been through more than the average little girl on Malachor V!"
Meiko looked shocked. "Malachor… What do you know of Malachor?!"
Yolei smirked at the sudden horror Meiko felt. "You know the name. I know the planet, I know the Mando'ade. I know it, because for years, that hell was home. My mother died there while my father left me there during the Mandalorian Wars. You don't know true suffering Meiko, not until you've been to that planet!" She yelled.
"I don't know true suffering? How about having your homeworld ripped before your eyes as the Sith War machine destroy it in the blink of an eye!" She shook her hands around, "Or being on the run for years, afraid to look around the corner for fear that you could be shot by a stray blaster bolt?!" She kept up the rant, not noticing the elevator had stopped moving. "Or how about when the love of your life loses his arm to destroy a space station that threatened to kill all who we love?" Meiko finished and found that her white lightsaber was activated before her. "Oh no… I'm so sorry Yolei… I don't know what came over me." She quickly deactivated it and opened the door of the elevator.
Yolei started to tear up, hearing what Meiko said had reminded her of what the poor woman had gone through. While the Mandalorians had taken her in after Malachor, Meiko had no family at all. Her homeworld was indeed dead. "Meiko, I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm sorry for causing you this horror again." She walked with her, moving through the familiar hallways of the administration level.
"Just keep in mind what I have said, and I am sorry for yelling at you too."
Yolei stopped in her tracks, feeling a presence familiar to her nearby. "Kreia…"
Meiko looked behind her to Yolei. "Did you say something?"
Yolei smiled, seeing Kreia in front of Meiko. "That woman there, she is the one who helped me recover from the Kolto tank." She pointed forward to Kreia.
Kreia turned around to find Yolei and Meiko behind her. "Greetings young one, and… someone new I see. Is this one of your old group?"
"Yes, this is Meiko Mochizuki, she is the discipled Grey Jedi of the Order." Yolei said with pride in her voice.
Kreia nodded towards Meiko. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mochizuki." She looked back towards Yolei. "I have a felt a disturbance, our enemy is here, and we must leave at once."
Meiko began to speak up. "Wait, as in the Harbinger? How did you know that it was docked?"
"The story is a long one, and we don't not have the luxury of time. We need to make our way to the docking area on this level. I fear the airlock is already opened." She and the two women behind her continued their walk towards the administration console. "If we cannot reach the Ebon Hawk, then we must find a way to escape on the ship that has docked here."
Meiko again questioned the old woman. "How did you know the name of our ship?" She then turned her head towards Yolei. "Did you tell her?"
Yolei huffed. "Yes, but not in the way you think." She adjusted the gloves on her uniform as they found themselves in the communications area. "Cody! We need to move now!"
Cody turned around and saw Meiko behind Yolei. "Meiko! Thank the Force you're alright." He ran to hug his surrogate mother. She returned the hug tenfold.
"Of course I am, you never need worry about me. I'll always be here for you." She ended the embrace and looked at the ship currently docked. "I know what this must mean for you, but we need to move out and get aboard that ship."
Cody nodded. "Wait a minute, who's this? Is she another Jedi that's been lurking around here? How do we know she didn't cause this mess?" He asked accusingly.
Kreia smirked in amusement. "I hope your talent for understatement is offset by your skill with a lightsaber, if not I fear our time together will be short indeed."
"Yeah, you're a chip off the old block. I can see where Yolei's been getting the attitude from recently. I'm also good at running and drinking your majesty." This was met with a slap on the back of the head from Meiko. "Ow! Fine, it's a pleasure to meet you miss…"
"Kreia." The three women said in unison.
'Good lord they're multiplying' Cody thought to himself. "Well, it would be helpful if we had lightsabers to fight with. I know there is a Sith Lord on that vessel. His presence is one I've felt before… many years ago.
Kreia pulled out two lightsabers from her belt. "Do these look familiar?" She handed them to both Yolei and Cody.
Cody activated his blue blade, not know how long it had been since he had seen its brilliance shine. "How long has it been… too long for me to forget." He pondered.
Yolei took her lightsaber, inspecting it for damage. "Where did you find them? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She questioned as she ditched the sword and mining laser from her belt.
"They were encased within the medical bay. If you had looked more closely at the console options, you would have found an extended storage bay." Kreia told them. The four members started to run for the docking bay airlock, hoping to get inside the Harbinger without being detected. That was not the case, however.
"Exclamation: Masters, I cannot let you do this. I suggested you should shut down, stay put and wait for rescue." HK-50 had found another Turbolift to get up to the administration level. The droid walked towards the four Force users, brandishing what looked like a blaster rifle.
Meiko stepped forward, trying calm the droid down. "HK, after all the death you've caused here at this facility, I would hardly be in a position to stay put. Put down the rifle and let me take a look at your programming." She pressed her hands forward, trying to calm the situation.
HK kept up his defense. "Observation: It is beyond the scope of my programming to understand it master. I do not know why I was sent here, nor who did."
Yolei spoke up, activating her green lightsaber. "Why do you even care what goes on here? What does it have to do with us?"
"Explanation: As I said, I do not understand it, Master Yolei. However, I do know that the client that programmed me, is very interested in seeking the Last of the Jedi. I shall return you all to Kolto tanks so that way we may wait for rescue from a vessel that is no doubt on the way. If you resist however, I may inadvertently fracture your skeleton in several places to incapacitate you." HK-50 started to move closer. Just as he did, Cody leapt forward, lightsaber activated and sliced the firing arm off the droid.
"How's that, you rust bucket?" He asked, recovering from the feat.
"Statement: self-destruct sequence activated. 3, 2, 1. Systems failing master!" HK-50 exploded before the group's eyes. They began to run up the docking ramp to avoid the initial blast as the explosion engulfed the administration level.
Meiko looked behind her as she sealed the docking bay airlock. "Well, that was close. I'm really sorry I put you all endanger." She felt down to her stomach. "Especially you, little one."
Cody and Yolei snickered at what they saw. Kreia looked unamused. "If the assassin machine was correct, and we cannot reach the hangar… be silent, I need some time to think." She leaned against a wall.
Yolei spoke up, shaking Kreia from her thoughts. "I saw this vessel dock. A fuel line has been connected to the fuel depot. We may be able to sneak across it and reach the hangar bay that way." She started to move forward. The others looked towards her and followed, keeping lightsabers activated.
Kreia nodded in approval from what Yolei had suggested. "That is a sound plan for the moment, let us go."